Toilet valve guide



March 13, 1956 F. J. HONE TOILET VALVE GUIDE Filed Dec. 30, 1955 wmm IN V EN TOR.

Fmfoer/ck (i Hor7 TOILET VALVE GUIDE Frederick J. Hone, North Long Beach, Calif. Application December 36, 1953, Serial No. 461,170 1 Claim. (Cl. 4-57) This invention relates to flush tanks, and more particularly to an improved flush tank valve actuating mechanism of the type including a guide for the flush tank valve.

The main object of the invention is to provide a novel "and improved flush tank valve assembly which is simple in construction, which is easy to install, and which provides dependable guiding action for the flush tank valve to insure the closure of the valve.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved flush tank valve assembly which involves inexpensive component-s, which is durable in construction, and which is arranged to accurately position and guide the valve ball element thereof to assure proper seating of the valve ball on the valve seat and eliminating the possibility of the valve remaining unseated when the valve actuating lever is released.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claim and from the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, partly broken away, of a flush tank provided with an improved valve assembly constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of a valve ball guide employed in the assembly of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the valve ball guide of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of valve ball guide according to the present invention which may be employed in the flush tank of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the valve ball guide of Figure 4.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3, 11 designates a conventional flush tank provided with the upwardly flaring flush valve seat 12, the vertical overflow pipe 13 located adjacent to and rigidly secured to the valve seat 12, and the lever 14 which is pivotally mounted in the flush tank and which is arranged for actuation by a conventional flush valve operating handle 15.

Designated at 16 is a flush valve ball which comprises a hollow sphere of resilient deformable elastic material, such as rubber or the like, the ball being connected by a flexible chain 17 to a selected aperture 18 in the end portion of the valve-actuating lever 14. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, when the lever 14 is elevated, the ball 16 is raised out of the seat 12, allowing the liquid in the tank 11 to discharge until its level drops below that of the seat 12, whereupon, by releasing the handle 15, the ball 16 is allowed to engage in the seat 12, to seal the tank. For example, by rotating the handle counterclockwise, as viewed in Figure l, the lever 14 will be elevated from the position shown in said figure and the ball 16 will be raised out of the seat 12, allowing the liquid in the tank to discharge through the outlet conduit 19. Upon releasing the handle 15, the ball 16 will descend and engage in the seat 12, sealing the tank and terminating the discharge of the liquid therefrom.

To insure the desired movement of the ball 16 in response to rotation of the handle 15, a valve guide, shown at 29-, is employed, said guide comprising a single piece of wire formed with a plurality of coaxial coils 21 to define a helical. guide member of substantially constant horizontal cross section, the top end of the wire being formed with the clamping hook 22 and the lower end. of. the wire being formed with a clamping hook 23 opposed in direction with respect to the hook 22. The respective clamping hooks 22 and 23 are clampingly engaged with the vertical overflow pipe 13, and the hooks are dimensioned to support the helical guide 24) in axial alignment with the seat 12 and surrounding the valve ball 16. As shown in Figure l, the helical guide 20 is positioned directly over the seat 12, whereby the ball 16 is constrained to move vertically inside the guide. The connecting chain 17 is preferably slightly longer than the normal distance between the top of the ball 16 and the lever 14 so that the chain has a slight amount of slack therein, to permit substantially free movement of the ball 16. However, the ball is constrained to move vertically since it is surrounded by the helical guide 2t). Thus, after the ball 16 has been elevated, as by rotating the handle 15 counterclockwise, as above described, the ball 16 is constrained to descend vertically into accurate seating engagement on the valve seat 12 after the handle 15 is released, providing immediate termination of the discharge of liquid through the outlet conduit 19.

Referring to the form of the invention shown in Figures 4 and 5, the helical valve ball guide is designated generally at 20' and comprises the coaxial coils 21 of similar diameter arranged to define a vertical helical body which receives and guides the valve ball 16. The wire body of the helical guide 20 has a hook 22 at its top end and an oppositely facing hook 23' at its bottom end, the hooks 22' and 23 being laterally offset from the main portion of the guide 20, in the same manner as in the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 3, whereby the hooks 22 and 23 may be clampingly engaged with the overflow pipe 13 to support the helical body coaxially over the ball seat 12. The hook 22' is formed with a U- bend at 24, and is provided with the top clamping hook element 25 and the bottom clamping element 26, the hook elements 25 and 26 being in parallel spaced relationship, as shown in Figure 4, providing a double grip on the overflow pipe 13. Similarly, the bottom hook element 23' is formed with a U-bend 27 and has the upper hook element 28 and the lower hook element 29, the hook elements 28 and 29 being in parallel, spaced relationship, and being similar to but facing oppositely with respect to the top elements 25 and 25. Thus, the lower hook elements 28 and 29 provide a double clamping action on the overflow pipe 13. When the helical guide device shown in Figures 4 and 5 is installed in the flush tank, the helical portion of the device is arranged coaxially over the valve seat 12, and the operation of the assembly is the same as that described in connection with Figures 1, 2 and 3.

The valve guide 20 of Figure 1 or 24) of Figure 4 may be formed of any other suitable material instead of Wire, such as extruded plastic or cast plastic material.

While certain specific embodiments of an improved flush tank valve assembly have been disclosed in the foregoing description, it will be understood that various modifications within the spirit of the invention may occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, it is intended that no limitations be placed on the invention except as defined by the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In a flush tank having a flush valve seat, a vertical overflow pipe adjacent said seat, and a lever for actuating a flush valve to lower the level of liquid in the tank, a valve assembly comprising a vertical helical guide, said helical guide comprising a unitary piece of wire stock formed With a plurality of like coaxial coils to define a vertical guide chamber of constant circular cross section, respective horizontally extending clamping books on the top and bottom ends of said piece of Wire stock clampingly engaging the overflow pipe to support said helical guide above the valve seat, a hollow valve ball of deformable elastic material loosely arranged in said guide and adapted to sealingly engage on said seat, and a flexible chain connecting said ball to said lever.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

